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trueblue
3 Strikes - Banned!
Joined: 31 Oct 2005
Posts: 260
Location: caravan
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 Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2005 9:47 am Post subject: Re: ch |
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| Rinty wrote: | Look, let's get this straight.
Scotland only pick players who play for their schools at U15 and U16 level. At U-14 it is only "representative" teams for tournaments and dozens of young players take part, this is not recognised as an official international and at times there are several "Scotland" teams playing at this age group.
Celtic (and Rangers and others) do not allow players to play for their schools after the age of 14. This is a decison that most pro clubs take as kids at that age start to seriously prepare for a professional career and schools cannot guarantee the correct level of coaching and players must fit in to a set programme of training and playing hours.
Celtic allowed McGeady to play for Ireland but not his school, they would also have allowed him to play for Scotland, but Schools FA rules meant he was not eligible.
My friends son is currently on the books of Rangers and recently featured in a Scotland U18 game. This was his first outing for Scotland for 3 or 4 years as he fell victim to the same rules as McGeady (he could not play for his school so therefore could not play for Scotland). This lad does not qualify for any other country so therefore did not have a choice to make. McGeady did.
McGeady's choice was simple - either play international football aged 15 and 16 for Ireland or play NO international football at all. His choice after that was simple - play for Ireland where you know you are part of the set up and know the staff and squad, or take the risk of choosing Scotland where you have not been part of the set up and attempt to establish yourself all over again.
From Daves post it would seem clear that McGeady did not take the decision based on his roots but rather on his footballing situation at the time.
As I said earlier, no-one would care if McGeady was an average player, just as no-one cared when Owen Coyle, Ray Houghton or Tommy Coyne played for Ireland, no-one cares that Brian McLean turns out for Northern Ireland. No-one gives a s**t either when a lad with Scots parents or Grandparents chooses Scotland over England, South Africa or any other country.
Richard Gough chose Scotland, Burton O'Brien chose South Africa, Liam Miller chose Ireland although he could have played for Scotland, many others have chosen Scotland over Ireland. The list is endless, the question is - WHY SINGLE OUT MCGEADY FOR ABUSE?
The answer, in light of all the posts here would seem to be twofold.
Reason One - he is a great wee player and Scots want him to play for us.
Reason Two - Bigots who hate all things Irish see him a wee "turncoat" or fenian.
Some people object two McGeady's decision for one of the above reasons others for a combination of both. |
it is neither bigotted nor 'anti-irish' to regard mcgheadinho, houghton, mclean etc. to be turncoat bastrds. there are plenty of other youths in scottish football down the years who qualified to play for ireland but DID not. he is a turncoat wee bastrd, they can have him anyway, he is overrated.
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parkhead_rfb
Getting on a bit!
Joined: 13 Oct 2005
Posts: 1974
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| Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2005 12:22 pm Post subject: |
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must still be hurting after his goal at ra sellik park 
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"there is no equality in a society that stands upon the political and economic bog, if only the strongest make it good or survive" bobby sands MP |
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Rinty
Ready For Afterlife!
Joined: 19 Sep 2005
Posts: 2597
Location: SW Scotland
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| Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2005 12:48 am Post subject: p |
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| Quote: | | his decision to play for Ireland u-15s didn't lock him into their setup |
Thats true, but what it did to do was establish relationships with team-mates and coaches, it gave him new positive influences and mentors, at a time when he could and should have been getting the same at Inverclyde but was excluded from doing so. Maybe it didn't lock him legally but lcoked him personally instead, maybe he felt he owed Brian Kerr? We don't know, we can only guess.
| Quote: | | Did he feel it would be disloyal to switch back to Scotland? |
Possibly, I think he maybe thought it could be risky, as he would have to establish himself in the Scotland set-up from scratch. That would be added to the fact that he felt that he had a real chance of making the Ireland first team in time.
If McGeady had been given a straight choice at the start and not had the choice of leaving one set-up to join another, he might have made a different decision. If he had never played for Ireland then was picked for both at the same time for the first time, then I feel we could criticise his decision. But it is a big decision for a young guy to make, especially given that some of his family were advising him against it. I feel that in the circumstances the blame is the Schools FA and it is easy for people like us to criticise a huge decsion for a teenager to take.
| Quote: | | I think it's because McGeadys link to Ireland is pretty tenuous. |
But his link to Ireland is a football one - he played for their youth teams. When he made that link he didn't have a choice between Scotland and Ireland - Scotland didn't allow him to play.
| Quote: | | I think the term 'turncoat glory seeker' describes him perfectly. |
Or a young professional with difficult career choices who chose to stay put rather than to move. |
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azzuri
'Our Scotland' Fossil
Joined: 12 Sep 2005
Posts: 3787
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| Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2005 1:02 am Post subject: |
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some fair points there rinty.
I doubt this would've been made into such a big issue if the boy was playing for any other team than celtic.
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